Ruby Red Grapefruit & Avocado Salad

It’s February and us British Columbians have been dealing with our usual winter weather. Rain, rain, and more rain, followed by clouds, and gray, and blah. It comes part and parcel with our beautiful West Coast Province, and in general I’m pretty content with it. It’s just that we get a whole lot of rainy days for many months in a row, and after a while my Indian heart cries for sunshine and vitamin D. The other day I was checking my phone to see what the weather was going to be like for the upcoming week. Every single day showed rain except for Tuesday, which showed glorious sunshine. SO exciting!

My kids are part of a distributed learning program (DL School). This means they attend their DL school on Tuesdays, and are homeschooled the rest of the week (it’s an amazing program which we love!). So on Tuesday, Lhasa and I dropped off Ameya and Saumya at school, and headed for the White Rock pier to make the most of the beautiful day, just the two of us. And it was all that it promised to be! First we walked the length of the pier and took in all the sights. Afterwards we took our jackets off, found a perfect picnic spot, put on our sunglasses and ate lunch in the sunshine. It couldn’t have been more perfect. And as promised it has rained every day since.

So how does one create summer during the winter drearies? If you have the winter blues, I have something that just might lift your spirits. This salad gives you a taste of summer through the winter months; it literally tastes like sunshine. The bright, sweet, and sour zing of grapefruit is perfectly matched with creamy, rich avocado. Salt, cumin, and pinch of chilli powder elevate all the flavours to a new level. It tastes divine, it looks amazing, and it’s ridiculously easy to make.

This recipe is one of my Moms. I used to never make it because a) I couldn’t be bothered to cut the grapefruit as perfectly as my Mom does and b) I enjoy being pampered by my Mom because I am still a baby. But it’s worth it people. Trust me. So when you are cutting that grapefruit, be sure to get the segments separated from the thick external and internal peel as best as you can. It makes for better presentation, and tastes better too. And don’t feel guilty about not growing up because you are not alone.

I can’t wait to hear what you think of this recipe, so please try it and let me know what you think! Take a picture of your creation and tag us on Instagram (@thetwokitchens). I think it could be plated quite beautifully so I would love to see what you come up with. Enjoy!

- Optional add ins or substitutions - Cubed mango, pomegranate seeds, orange segments- My trick for getting a perfectly ripened avocado is to buy them hard and green and let them ripen on the counter. When they give slightly to the touch, and the peels have darkened, put them in the fridge. They are usually good for about a week.